New Firmware Update Available for 5th Generation Fire Tablets

Amazon is in the process of pushing out a new firmware update to their 5th generation lineup of Fire tablets. This includes the Fire HD 6, Fire HD 8, Fire HD 10 and the new $50 Fire tablet. One of the most talked about features is Blue Shade, the mode that decreases the amount of blue light that emits from the screen.

Here is a complete rundown of the new 5.1.1 update that is now available.

Blue Shade: The Blue Shade feature blocks blue light and lets you adjust the color and brightness of the screen. Turn on and off by using the quick settings menu.

Amazon FreeTime Web Browser: A web browser built from the ground up to give kids a personalized and age-appropriate web browsing experience. The browser limits access to only pre-approved websites and web videos. The FreeTime web browser is turned off by default; enable it under web settings located in FreeTime settings.

Activity Center: Provides an easy way for parents to spy monitor how kids are spending their time using the Fire tablet, including how much time they spend playing games and what websites they visit.

Set a Curfew: From the parental controls menu, you can now schedule times when kids can use their Fire tablet. This is a separate feature from Amazon FreeTime, and is for older kids that don’t use that.

If you have not automatically received the firmware update, you can download it directly from Amazon HERE.

Michael Kozlowski is the Editor in Chief of Good e-Reader. He has been writing about audiobooks and e-readers for the past ten years. His articles have been picked up by major and local news sources and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times.